Tool for marking tiles



Mrch 1,1927. v1,619,991

W. RIESER Toon FOR MARKING TILES Filed Dec. 21, 1925 W/LL/AM Ric-$572A Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

WILLAM RIESEB, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. I

TOOL FOR MARKING TILES.

Application area December 21, 1925. serial No. 76,683.

This invention relates to a hand tool to facilitate the marking or scoring of articles such as tiles.

It is well known that extensive use is made of tiles forpcovering floors, walls, and the like. These tiles are usually composed of a hard brittle substance, such as porcelain or clay with a smooth vitreous surface. The tiles are laid by hand and this involves considerable labor and time which when added to the cost of material makes the use of tile as a covering or finishing material of vconsiderable expense. Tile laying or setting is not only a time-saving operation but a difficult f one, particularly when the setter has to contend with the application of tiles to surfaces bounded by or including angular portions.

Tiles are usually constructed of a uniform size and when applied to a room or ioor it is necessary that certain of the tiles be cut to provide portions to fill in such space as may be left and which is not equal in area to accommodate' a whole tile.

Heretofore vin cutting a tile it was the practise to measure the space to be fitted,

then mark the tile and cut the same. This required the use of an instrument for measuring the space and a handling of the tile to mark or score the same. A chisel was then used to remove the scored portion. This operation had to be repeated for each tile to be cut thus requiring considerable time and making the operation rather tedious.

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the tile-setting operation by providing a tool for enabling one to score any number of tiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand tool which may be employed by a tile-setter to minimize the handling of tiles when the same are to be reduced in size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective hand tile holder and gage adapted to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses. x

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the following description is read.

In carrying out my invention I provide a holder having a supporting ledge to receive. a tile. Associated with the holder is a slidable and adjustable straight-edge. The tool is so constructed that it may be held in the hand while a tile s positioned in the holder with the straight-edge in the proper position, thus permitting one to quicklyscore the tile and thereafter remove the saine so that the scored edge may berenioved.

Various types of gages have been madefor marking glass, etc., but owing to the character of the sheets of glass or like material it is essential to provide a device which could only be used when on a rigid support, such as a table or bench. Such devices were of little value to tile-Setters who do not have tables or benches available. The present instrument is of such a character as to be in the same category as a common saw and becomes as essential to a tile-setter as a saw does to a carpenter. ent invention may be used while one is on a ladder or elsewhere, it being merely necessary to place the tile in the tool and rest it against ones knee and then score the same with an ordinary glass-cutter, after which the scored portion may be broken away along the scoring either by use of a chisel or else by sharply tapping the same.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in Which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a view taken on line III- III in Fig. 1.

A device constructed in accordance with my invention maycomprise a hand-piece or holder 9 which may be composed substantially of a plate 10 a shelf or ledge 12 is secured in any suitable manner, as by riveting or welding, or if desirable the flange 11 may have a reverse bend to provide the shelf l2. The shelf, as shown, is in oset relation to the plate 10. At one end of the shelf a stop plate 13 is provided so that a tile 14, as indicated in dotted lines, may be disposed with one edge on the shelf and in contact with the stop plate. Thus when the tool is held in the hand at a natural angle the tile may be slid against the stop and more conveniently held for the niarking operation.

The marking or scoring of a tile is accomplished by the use of a T-inember or straight-edge 14 composed of a shank 15 and a head 16 which may be termed a marking or scoring an instrument for the manual performance of a marking or scoring operation. The shank 15 is slidable in guides 17 and 18 The tool of the presof angular form having one side bent to provide a liange 11 to which.

guide since it serves to guide which are so disposed that the T-member may be moved transversely to and intermediate the ends of the shelf 12. The guide 17 is provided With a set screw 19 adapted to engage with and hold the T-memb-er in any desired position of adjustment. For the purpose of scoring a tile at an angle the head 16 is made shiftable and is pivoted at 21 to the shank 415, which latter is provided with an extended portion 22y hav-V ing an arcuate slot 23 through Which av bolt 24 extends and passes through an aperture in an extended portion 25 of the head 16. The bolt 24 may have a flat head at one end and a thumb-nut 26' at the other so that by manipulating the thumb-nut the head 16 may be permitted to move for adjustment or may be secured in any desired position.

' The tool may be of a size to accommodate tiles of various dimensions and at the same time by reason of the present novel construction the tool may be so proportioned as' to be conveniently held in the hand;

l/Yhen it is to be used a. tile is positioned as shown in dotted lines so that an edge of the tile rests upon the ledge 12 and beneath the T-member 11`l in order that the straight-edge or head 16 of the T-member may be moved adjacent to the surface' ont the tile for the marking or scoring, after which the tile may be removed and readily broken or severed along the' scoring'.

In the event that a tile of a lesser thickness is to be cut or broken, I provide a step or supplemental ledge 28 which may be a strip of relatively thick material secured to the ledge 12. This step provides a seat for an edge ot a thin tile and brings the surface thereof in marking relation to the straight edge 16. It often happens that a ile has an edge of irregular shape and it' is desirable to cut avv'ay such irregular edge on a line parallel to an opposite straight et ge. The tile may then be placed' With its irregular edge on the ledge 12' or the suppleinental ledge 28 in such position that a corner of the tile is in contact With the ange 11 and a point on the said irregular edge in Contact with a set screw 29. TWhen so positioned the tile Will be engaged Wit-h a twopoint contact and thus prevented from rocking While the straight edge is positioned and the surface ofthe tile scored or marked. If it is desiredthe straight-edge or head of the T-niember may be shifted vto permit an angular marking of a tile as when a cor .er thereof is to be removed.

lt is to be appreciated thatk after the straight-edge has been adjusted for the scoring ot a tile, that any number oi"l tiles may thereafter be scored in the tool. According o previous practise it was essential to mark each individual tile and then either score the same or remove the marked portion by means of a chisel.

The invention provides a handy tool and a space to be filled with odd sizes of tiles may be quickly done by cutting the required number of tiles with a single setting of the instrument.

Arlthoiigh a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious to`y those skilled in the art that modifications may be made therein, however such modifications are contemplated as come within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

v1hat is claimed is:

1. A hand tool to facilitate a marking' operation on tiles, comprising a supporting member, a ledge on said member to receive the edge of a tile, guides on said supporting member, a slidable member movablein said guides, a straight edge for` guiding a mark` implement, said straight edge'bein'g carried by said movable member and disposed in parallel relation to said ledge and adinstable to different positions on af tile having an edge disposed on said' ledge, andi means for adjust-ing said straight edge to angular relation to said ledge.

2. A hand tool comprising a supporting plate, guides on said plate, a ledge disposed along one side of said plate to receive an edge of a'tile, a T-member comprisingv a shank movable in saidl guides in ay direction transverse to said ledge, and an abutment at one side ot said ledge to prevent lateralE novement of a tile when held in a natural position in the hand during a marking operation. Y

3. A hand tile marking tool comprisingv a support, a marking guide adj'ustably mounted in said support, means carried by said support and disposed beneath said marking guide for supporting one edge of a tile, whereby a tile may be supported by said support at one edge and thev other edge may be disposed against said marking guide for a marking operation,` and means for securing said marking guide in adjusted position. Y

1. A hand tile marking tool comprising a fiat body member, a ledge carried by and disposed beneath said'body member, said ledge having an auxiliary ledge :for tiles of lesser thickness than those adapted to be supported'by said first mentioned ledge, a marking guide slidably supported by said body member, said marking a straight edge for disposition alongv the uppr surface ot a tile disposed on either ot' said ledges, and means for seouring said marking guide in adjustedposition;

In testimony whereof atlx my signature.

VILLAM RIESER.

guide having 

